That's one reason why people driving by the Second Street theater might think they're in a 1970s time warp.

They can see a marquee promoting the less-than-classic Bill Cosby-Raquel Welch comedy "Mother, Jugs and Speed," Burt Reynolds' "Gator" and the fictional "Mega Bowl" closed-circuit basketball game, which references a scene in "Semi-Pro."

It's part of Farah's lobbying for the premiere.

He would love to see Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, and other stars of the Flint-set basketball comedy return here when the film debuts sometime in 2008 -- possibly late February.

"We're just leaving the memorabilia up for the time being," Farah said. "Maybe we'll leave it up into next year. We'll probably wait and see if we do get the premiere and leave it up through that."

Filmmakers invested about $20,000 in restoring the marquee and it will remain on every night for about three hours after dusk. They shot at least two scenes outside the historic theater so having a premiere there would be fitting.

"I'd like to think a premiere in Flint is appropriate," Farah said. "A premiere at the Capitol would be even more appropriate."

Even "Semi-Pro" director Kent Alterman said he'd love to have the premiere at the Capitol. But Alterman -- interviewed when the film was shot here the week of April 30 -- admitted he wasn't in charge of those decisions.

Farah said the long-closed theater was last open when it showed cartoons for Flint's Sesquicentennial Weekend in 2005. Before then, it regularly screened the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" around Halloween in the 1980s and 1990s.

He said little work would be needed to get the cinema ready. He said the theater screen is in working order, but a projector would need to be brought in, which would be easy because it's been done before. The only problem is heat, he said.

"The heating system does not adequately heat it in dead of winter," Farah said. "But we can overcome that hurdle in a couple of ways."

Farah said he talked briefly with the moviemakers when they were here and hopes to hear back from them about the premiere possibilities in the fall.

"We had brief discussions while they were in town," he said. "The ball is in their court. I'm looking forward and hope to work something out with them."